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Our favourite records – bass tracks

One of our favourite test tracks and unlike most we don’t really get tired of it. Tuneful “phat” bass with some deep kicks thrown in for good measure that really tests smaller speakers. Could have filled this list with HipHop but this one stands out with sharp lyrics too.

“Prodrome” by Ken Ishii

Little known but has a tremendous sense of depth and space, techno for the audiophile.

“The Jerk” by Drums of Death

Hear this on a big modern rig and it rattles you with bumpy bass. Great production and a great track. Will make you dance.

“Smoke Rings” by Photek

No track does quite what this track can do when heard on a pair of 801s, there is a subsonic note in there that is fed to left and right out of phase and it actually wobbles your bottom on the sofa. Disconcerting first time round.

“Sunshowers” by MIA

Wikipaedia says the genre is “Jungle Dance” which sums it up quite nicely, mischievious MIA at her best.

“Flat Beat” by Mr Oizo

One of my all time faves, the bass doesn’t actually go that low, it just sounds like it does, so it sounds great on everything, very clever and very cool, especially with a yellow puppet on your hand.

“In For The Kill” by La Roux (Skream’s Lets Get ravey Mix)

Well, had to get a bit of Dubstep in the list and this track opened a few more ears to it, not many remixes gel this well.

“Enter Sandman” by Metallica

One of the finest rock intros I’ve heard, thunderous bass kicks help drive the build up to an expolosive opening and a great track. If I was a rock journo I’d describe it much better

“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson .

What can I really say about this track? How about, I heard a great rendition by a beatboxer, evidentally reproduced by saying an explosive “Boots” following by a cutting “Cats” and repeating at 120bpm.

A lot of people have heard of Fantasia but not many will have heard this piece to the end. This is a beautifully recorded version that is notable for the epic Timpani, and is another one of those test tracks that we still enjoy.

Always a breathtaking subwoofer challenge although an older source: Roger Waters album “Amused To Death” out in 1992. Track 12: “Three Wishes” will attract you with Q-Sound effects and absolute deep bass coming from the Genie… Enjoy and be surprised. Cheers Ulf

Posted: Friday, 24 February 2012

Jason K says:

There’s some filthy bass on Mr Oizo’s Analog Worms Attack, guaranteed to get everything in the room shaking

Posted: Monday, 5 March 2012

Egon Spengler says:

I have Keith Howard to thank for turning me on to Brian Bromberg’s “Wood” which contains an excellent track (track 1 “The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers”) where not only the bass but the harmonic character of the instrument comes thru in the recording.

Posted: Friday, 9 March 2012

Peter DeCourcy says:

Boards of Canada’s Olson or Sunshine Recorder are both great tracks for low end grunt. Although this style of ambient electronica isn’t for everybody’s taste, its a good spring board for investigating BOC.

Posted: Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Sean says:

I agree with Ulf, “Amused To Death” out in 1992. Track 12: “Three Wishes” sounds great. I also like Peter Gabriel’s UVO, a couple of great tracks there. Tony Levin’s “Garden of Eden” 2000 is very pleasant to listen to too. You can hear every individual note.

Valery Gergiev’s Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture, available on HDTracks, the cannon get to sing… :)

A list like this though is pretty much useless unless it points to where you can get the tracks, preferably HiRes FLAC. I’ve done a quick search and all I find are torrents (rip-offs) and I don’t do that. I’m also not a fan of iTunes…

Maybe rather than just listing them, B&W SoS could source them, either as individual tracks on one album, or as one of the albums of the month (for the next 10 months)? Now this would be a download worth having!

Posted: Friday, 16 March 2012

Eric Seaberg says:

One of my favorites, though not played on a ‘real’ bass, is Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME”. Incredible production from Trevor Horn and computer sequencing (long before it was the norm) and engineering by Steve Lipson.

Posted: Friday, 16 March 2012

Jem Hayward says:

Jon Hopkins, Insides – several tracks have stunning bass synth sounds. Only audible on speakers with the bottom octave.

Posted: Friday, 16 March 2012

mauritz coetzee says:

hi there guys,you should try a album called The glitch mob!!fantastic tracks on my 803s!!and also SBTRKT!!

Posted: Friday, 16 March 2012

Jose says:

Guys, Bjork’s “Hunter” is the ultimate test…

Posted: Friday, 16 March 2012

Henkjan says:

Would there be a chance to make an album like for the Society of Sound? This and maybe a few other collections for other aspects like ambience, details, imaging

Posted: Saturday, 17 March 2012

Tor-Petter says:

Hi Guys.

I have put together the tracks I could find both from B&W and some of you guys in this Spotify playlist.

There’s most of “Kiss of Electric Sand” by Speed Caravan (from Society of Sound no less). When choosing my current set-up, I used ‘Galvanize” to really push the air. It’s got really sharp attack and decay and a really low bass track supporting things.

Kraftwerk live – Die Mensch-Maschine – played on a Matrix 800 it ist quite earthshaking ;-)

Posted: Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Ken says:

I reach for Air’s “We Are Electronic Performers” from 10000Hz Legend.

Posted: Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Ben says:

Agree about “Kiss of Electric Sand”. Possibly my favourite Real World issue from SoS. I’d add “Going out of my Head” – Fatboy Slim. Not greatly intellectual music but some cracking bass.

Posted: Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Don Workman says:

Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV 565: Toccata on the Bachbusters CD. If this doesn’t test what a voice coil can handle, nothing will. Agree absolutely with most of the other choices also.

Posted: Friday, 23 March 2012

lurch says:

Raekwon – Incarcerated Scarfaces

Posted: Friday, 23 March 2012

Tom says:

Three more woofer reality-checks:

1. the Dorati/Mercury Living Presence complete “Firebird” CD — particularly the bass drum, but also the articulation and detail of the double-bass.

2. the Fennell/Telarc Holst “Suite for Band”, specifically the “bass drum heard ’round the world,” ushering in the clean dynamics of digital recording. Best source is the Telarc hybrid SACD, which contains the best-sounding transfer of the old Soundstream digital tapes.

3. Quincy Jones, “Smackwater Jack,” title cut and others on the record. Quincy doubled up acoustic and electric bass and the engineer captured fantastic pick work on the electric, probably fed direct into the recording console. Deep, heavy and percussive.

Posted: Wednesday, 28 March 2012

Adam Trust says:

Gone, Still by Nine Inch Nails off of disc 2 of And All That Could Have Been. The bass gets more and more intense as the song goes.. It’s a reference I use when wanting to check out bass on a system.

Im enjoying Fat Freddy’s Drop. Namely The NOD for a nice beaty track, and to really test out the subs, try ‘Ernie’ by Fat Freddys. It rattles the windows when played on my 684s.

Posted: Thursday, 29 March 2012

stanley says:

thank you Tor , now i need to buy some cd’s or flacs to make a test cd before i go shopping for a new sub system for my miata

Posted: Thursday, 29 March 2012

Mike Biffignani says:

outstanding blog and Best Bass is so subjective but the list is a great one. But have to agree with Egon especially for testing and comparing B&W loudspeakers, Brian Bromberg Blue Bossa, Carry on Wayward Son and Let Em In , contain dynamics produced by his fretboard that are worth listening to.

Posted: Thursday, 29 March 2012

Stuart says:

Have to say the Speed Caravan track very nearly made it to the list.I guess I didn’t want to be accused of brand bias though;-)

Posted: Thursday, 5 April 2012

William Chow says:

“Wrong” – Everything but the girl.
Either the Todd Terry or Deep Dish remix.

Posted: Tuesday, 17 April 2012

FM says:

Poem of Chinese Drums by Yim Hok-Man at 24/88.2 is my “go to” for getting air moving. While several of the above do the trick, this track from “Master of Chinese Percussion” somehow has the room coupled so that the air vibrates. The sub (crossed in at 26 Hz) pushes content well down to below 16Hz.

Posted: Saturday, 21 April 2012

Can says:

I was in a shop who is a dealer for B&W ( in Stockholm Sweden)
I heard a fantastic female singer in one of the test tracks. (testing headphones)
Can any one tell me the name of the singer / song

Posted: Friday, 6 December 2013

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